Butter printing and cutting machine.



R. F. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. I. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented June 17, 1913.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WVM/Leones 57%@ @Mgg APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1911.

@ E] M gte/algida n z R. F. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB. 10, 1911.

Patented June 17, 1913.

1o anims-SHEET s.

R. I'. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MARIO, 1911.

1,065,185, Patented June 17, 1913.

l0 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

U a u 0 R. F. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLBD 111111.10, 1911.

Lgf), 15g Patented June 17, 1913.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

j nl a WCC@ i @Hwa/19,134

W M@ f@ R. I. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

Patented June 17, 1913.

10 SHEETSTSHEET B.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.10, 1911.

R. F. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 111111.10, 1911.

, 1,065,185 Patented 111116111913.

1o SHEETS-SHEET r1.

R. P. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 10, 1911. I Y105185 Patented June 17, 1913.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

R. F. STEWART.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 141111.10, 1911.

1,065,185, Patented June 17, 1913.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

06 r f @i Witmeeo: Z22( 5mm, oz

www y fa @Q15 mmtw; M@ ze R. I. STEWART. BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MAGHINE.

I0 SHEETS-SHEET 10.

Patented June 17, 1913.

APPLICATION FILED MABJO, 1911.

l ye/pto@ 13 if @H6114 213,0. i

` a view in plan of the machine.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFroE.

RICHARD F.STEW'ART, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUTTER PRINTING AND CUTTING MACHINE.

To (ill whom 'it may (fo/warn Be it known that I, RICHARD F. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State ot New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Butter Printing and Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to machines for handling bulk material, printino and cutting it oit, particularly that class o merchandise which it is desirable shall be mechanically handled, both for speed in putting into marketable condition and for sanitary reasons, and in its present embodiment is shown as applied to machines for forming prints ot' butter from slabs.

The machine herein disclosed is designed to receive slabs of butter eut from a tub; printthereon any initialing or design desired; and sever the slab-end thus marked into prints of uniform Weight and size. The machine is designed to perform all of these steps in sequence, each operation taking place automatically and without the necessity of manual operation or the attention of an operator, except to insert the slabs ot butter at one end of the machine and remove the prints at the other end, and each mechanism is so timed as that only one mechanism will be operating at a time; although the arrangement is such and the timing is so worked out that the successive manipulations of the print follow each other quickly and without loss of time, so that the output of the machine is large and a machine capable of rapid driving is provided.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrateone embodiment of my invention and for-ma part of this disclosure-Figure l is Fig. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale of the slab-receiving hopper (shown at the left, Fig. l), portions of the structure being in section to better illustrate the mechanism for operating the several parts: Fig. 3- is a detail sectional view of the plunger head for advancing the slabs. Fig. 4L is a view on substantially the same scale as Fig. 2, of the wrapping mechanism, wrapper-feed, and printdelivering plunger, parts of the structure being in section to better illustrate the operating mechanisms. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the wrapper box to show on an enlarged scale the controlling finger for the wrapper-pack. Fig. 6 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1913.

Application ined March 10, 1,911. serial No. 613,653.

cross sectional view on approximately the dotted lin'e 6-6, Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views on approximately the dotted lines 77 and 8-8, respectively, Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view,'in elevation, to show the wrapping-well through which the print passes during the Wrapping operation, and its related parts. Fi 10 is a plan view, somewhat enlarged, of t e central portion of the machine, with the hopper and Wrapper-box removed, to illustrate the wrapping well through which the print moves during the wrapping operation and the coperating parts. Fig. 1l is a view from the back of the machine to show the slab-receiving hopper and the operating parts for handling the wrapper end-folding devices. Fig. 12 is a view, 1n elevation, at the delivery-end of the machine, showing the'delivery-mechanism for handling the aS- sembled prints, the pack-holding knife or blade for the wrapper-pack, and the sprinkling pipe. Figs. 13, 14, 15, and 16 are detail views of the mechanism for delivering the assembled prints. Fig. 17 is a detail view of the main drive and clutch box.

Referring to the drawings by letters, like let-ters illustrating like parts 'in the several views, A (Figs. 4 and 6) denotes the machine frame, which may be of any suitable design to form a proper support for the operating parts of the machine, said frame as she-wn being formed of anglel` iron, and it may be so constructed as to support in a proper position some prime mover, conventionally shown at X, (Fig. 9,) from which the machine is driven. Mounted upon the top ofsaid frame are standards or a super-frame c, which supports for the mostI part the operating mechanisms of the machine, which operating parts will be described in detail hereinafter. y

Moz'ndri'te md slab feed-The powershaft A (see Figs. l, 4 and 6) which drives the various mechanism rises from its prime motor to a suitable gear and clutch box A2, from-which power is transmitted to the different parts of the machine.

The main drive or cam shaft. B, which operates the several instrumentalities of the machine, is best shown in Fig. 6, with its various driving cams and sprockets in section, this drive shaft heilig driven by the worm A3 and worm wheel A4 (see Fig. 10) in the boX A2, or it may be rotated byA hand, the present illustration showing a conventional hand wheel B3, (see Fig. 1,) by which shaft B maybe turned.

.At one end of the machine is provided a hopper B', (Figs. 1 and 2) in which the slabs of butter which have been cut from the tub in any suitablemanner, as for eX- ample by the well-known American Butter Cutting Machine Companys slab cutter, illustrated in the Stewart Patent No. 804,566, are put, a slab holding` table Bz being provided for convenience at one side of the slab hopper B, as shown in Fig. 1. The said hopper B has a slab-advancing plunger 5 mounted to reciprocate therein, the head of which is resilient, as shown in Fig. 3, being mounted on spring rods 5 so as to yield slightly as the slab feeds forward, an adjustment of the plunger being provided for by means of adjusting nuts 5. The stem 5 of this plunger is connected by a pawl 52 with a sliding frame, (see Fig. 2) which is connected by a link 53 with an operating lever 54 mounted on a rock shaft 55, (see Figs. 2,- 6 and 11) which rock shaft in turn is oscillated by a cam rod 56 which is provided with a groove 57 to receive a cam-roll 58 mounted on the cam 59 and designed to engage at regular intervals in its rotation the grooved lever 56 and give a feeding-thrust through it and the connected parts to the plunger 5, the said thrustlever 56 being forked at its free end so as to engage a supporting thimble 510 on the shaft B and thereby support the lever.

In order to get a step-by-step feed to the plunger 5 its stem 5 is provided on its under side with a ratchet 5, this ratchet being so cut as to give a definite advance tothe plunger' 5 each time the plunger-advancing mechanism is operated, the movement of the plunger, of course, determining the size of the prints which are severed from the slab as it is fed from the hopper, the present machine being designed to give a two-anda-half-inch feed so as to give a print of two and one-half inches in width. The plunger 5 and its yratcheted stem, which normally lie in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, are advanced by means of the p awl 52, heretofore referred to, said pawl being weighted to keep it in engaging position, and mounted on the sliding frame 513, which, as stated connects with the link 53, lever 54, shaft 55, and thrust lever 50, with the operating cam\'on the main shaft B heretofore described.

It will be obvious that, with the mechanism just set forth, each reciprocation of t-he pawl-carrying frame 513 will step the plunger 5 and its ratchet stem forward one or more teeth or ridges, depending on what advance is to be given to the plunger, and that after an advance and return of the operating parts the plunger 5 will come to a state of rest until the operating cam-roll 58 has completed its revolution, when the advance of plunger 5 will be repeated. It will be observed that the cam groove 5.7 in the thrust lever 5o is of such shape as that it will first advance the lever to throw the plunger 5 forward, through the operating lever, links, and pawl 52, and it will then return the thrust lever 56 to its normal position, trailing'the pawl 52 back idly over the ratchet. The stem 5 of the plunger 5 preferably extends backward through an opening 514 in an abutment at the rear of the hopper and is 'upheld by a spring 51,` which steadies the movements of the stem and insures a proper relation of the ratchet and pawl.

Printing mecham'slmlAs the slab is advanced in the hopper B it passes to a printing mechanism (see Figs. 2, 4, 7, 8 and 9) from which it receives its imprint or design, which imprint will, of course, be that of the particular dealer who is forming the prints, and this printing mechanism comprises a half-roller or block D, suitably cut on its under surface with the dealers design, and pivotally mounted in theends of levers d which are carried on rook shafts d mounted in adjustable blocks cl2 in suitable standards (Z3 on the sides of the hopper B. The print block c5 normally stands in the position shown in Fig. 2, raised above the hopper, and it is weighted by a suitable weight Z4 at its rear end so that it stands, as shown, with its circumferential face turned toward the approaching slab. As the slab is ad vanced and approaches the printing point y the levers d are rocked, through the link d and lever d, which is carried by a rock shaft d?, said rock shaft receiving its movement from the shaft-operating lever (la linked, as shown in Fig. 4c, to a lever do mounted at its rear end on an oscillating support or shaft d10, said lever dn being provided with a cam roll (5 (see Fig. 6), which takes into a cam groove (i12 on the cam 0313, so that at the proper interval in the operation o-f the machine the lever' Il will be rocked, and, through the connections just described, drop the print roll D just within the hopper and into contact with the advancing slab. It is obvious that the moment this freely oseillating or rocking print-block D engages the surface of the slab it will be rotated and imprint its design upon the slab, and after this half rotation of the print block D has been made the timing of the cam (Z13 is such that the block D will again lift, and, being weighted at its rear, at once swing to its normal position as shown in Fig. 2.

Print regulatorr-The slab thus printed is stepped forward at the next movement of the plunger 5 in the hopper B and its end feeds past the end of the hopper against a regulating plate E, shown in Figs. 1,

a-,eemss e-, which have =a resilient 'mount-ing in barreis e* so that fthe stop `or regulating plate may yield sliigl-itly, #and preferably the plate E is =adus`tab`e with respect to the supportfifng A-lrame le fby means `of 'adjusting nuits e3 en thesuppitling rods -e ias shown, it being understood that 't-fhe rods e within 'the Abarrels e2 are -sn'rrounded by spiral springs so as to :give the resilient play to the plate E. This rar-rangement with t'l'ie resilient head b" 'on pll'miger fb, gives fa very eicient regulation and feed der the slab.

PM/lit entri/ng mechanism/.flu this position of slab the cutting mechanism is lbrought into play (Figs. l, 4, 7 7, `8 and 9),

whidh cutting 'mechanism comprises a severing wire F carried by a rising and falling trame or yoke mounted on suitable standards f secu-r to the 'tira-me, said yoke f being operated trom the shaftd7 heretofore described, 'lever f2, :and link f8; the shaft df, as stated, being oscillated through lthe lever d8 which is linked to the lever d driven -from fthec`arnfl12 IThe rising and 'falling of the Wire-carrying jyoike f is so timed *that it will make its -descent and cutfo 'a print the moment the printed s'lab end is tted forward against the regulating device and over the 'wrapping table, presently @to be described, to bring 'the slab end iin proper relation to the 'cutting mechanism.

Included in the structure of this machine lis a Wrapping afnd wrapping feeding mechanism which l w-ifll now only briefl' describe.

Referri to 4, 5, 9, and '0, it will be observe' that there l'is `a `well inlthe machineat the end of the hopper B', which contains a .print 'platform G provided with guiding rods g which slide in suitable ea-rs on the alpper machin-e trame or superstructure (1 :as shown in -F-ig. 4, so as to guide the platform G in its rising and falling moveyine'nts, 'the movements of the platform in the well "being effected through the adjustable connection 4g Adepending from the platform, as sli-own in Fig. 2, this adj'ustable 'connection y being linked by -a small li-nk g2.

Vto an actuating leve-r g3 mounted on the oscillating shiait d'1, land actuated by a cam -roll'g taking intoa cam g5 as shown in Fig. '6, the "cam g5 being fixed to and revolving with the drive shaft B The ca-m g5 is so timed Sas to give a falling movement to the platform G immediately the severing wire F, carried by Ithe yoke f', has completed its cnt and depositedthe print, severed from the end of the slab, upon the platform G.

The wrapper feeding mechanism comprises a stack receptacle H, which is preferabily mounted in 'the inclined position shown in Fig. 4 so 'that the wrappers wil-l stand in the staggered position shown, a

weighted :handle 'board 7L `bei-nig provided to hold the stack in proper position, fand at its -forward end the handle board preferably has two strips 71. om either side, which lie :above the ejecting wheels 7a2 so as to linsure fa proper Contact 'between 'these tteed wheels and the paper, 'without unduly increasing the friction on the stack. rThe ejecti-ng feed rollers 71.2, which pick off the bottom sheet ofthe stack and forward it to the feeding rolls, which are shown in F ig. 4, project slightly through the botto-m of the hopper -H so as 'to bea-r against the lowermos't'sheet of the stack, and these -ejecting wheels are loperated -at regular intervals 'by a ratchet wheel 71,3 "(see '9) which receives an intermittent mot-ion from a weighted paw'l '7L4 4linked by a link 7&5 to fan oscillating Ilever 71,6,

the lower end of which has a cam roll 7L7 ta'ki-ng into a cam groove 768 on the cam disk '71,, as shown in Fig. 9. From this it will be seen that the `s'haft 7b3 4carrying the rolls '7a2 Wi'fll 'be given an intermittent rotation, and pull forward from beneath 'the stack 'the lo'wermost sheet., which will feed out of the open mouth off the hopper below the sheetJconftrr-illifng Ifingers klo, which loverlie the trough 7L vand are carried by the frame c, heretofore referred to, 'into the trough 7L, and, passing -a-long, will come into the nip of -the feed rollers 71,12, 7L, as best shown in Fig. 4, one set off these rollers 'k12 and 7L 'being rubber '-faced, as shown in Fig. 6, 'to give a good grip 'on the sheet. The rol-'1ers k12 are positively driven through the shaft 7L14 and sprocket 77,15, which, by drive chain h1", connects with the large sprocket 7L on the main shaft B, the rollers 71,13 being idlers 'mounted -on small stub shafts as shown in Fig. 6 carried by the superframe a and serving as rotating abutments for the positively driven wheels '7L12 to grip against. The wrapper, thus lfed forward, is advanced over the platform G, this advance of the wrapper being timed so thatit projects over the well and above the platform Gr during the period that the plaform with its print is below the plane of the wrapper 'troughs (Fig. 4). The wrappers are, of course, of thin paper, and in order that the free end of the wrapper may be prevented from dropping into the well and that it may be carried across this open space, I provide a Wrapper-receiving slide I, shown in Figs.' 2 and 4. The wrapper receiving slide l lis composed of an open ended mouth-piece cai'- ried by suitable slide bars which are connected att-heir rear ends to the carrier frame 7213, shown in Figs, 1, 2, 4, and 9, the movements of this carrier frame b to which the slide bars z' are connected, being so timed as that it will advance the open-mouthed wrapper slide I across the well in alinement with the trough 71,11 to receive the free end of the wrapper as it is fed forward by the feeding wheels k12, h, heretofore described, and the wrapper-receiving slide I will, on its return, carry the thin paper wrapper across the well in position to lie. upon the table G, when it once more comes to a state of rest in front of the hopper B. The movement of the wrapper from its stack across the well is not, however, a symmetrical movement, so that the wrapper does not lie half-and-half on each side of the well. That portion of the wrapper which actually projects on the side of the well opposite the stack, is only so much as is necessary to give a side fold and relatively short turn-in on to-p of the print, thus reducing the darrtent of wrapper movement to a minimum lrtak-` ing it from the stack and delivering it to the platform. The stack in the hopper H lies, as stated, in a staggered position, Vowing to the inclined positionof the hopper,`and at the rear end of the hopper I provide a stack-controlling blade or point 7L18 (shown in detail in Fig. 5) mounted on an arm h1,

carried by a rock-shaft h2o, which is oscillated by crank-arm 7L21 and link 7L2L (Fig. l2) which connect with lever 7L, (Figs. fl,

s, 5, and 9) heretofore referred to, and from which the part 7L1S gets its movements. The blade 71,18 will thus be rocked at regular intervals and its point 7f3 worked into the lowermost sheets of the stack. The point 7f3 is rounded, as shown, so as to give a penetrating point; and just below the point 7L23 the rear edge of the blade is brought to a cutting edge so that, as the stack `works down, the bottom sheet is but slightly held by the cutting edge and may be readilyA stripped from the stack by the ejecting wheels and fed forward to the delivering mechanism which carries it to the well and platform. It will be obvious, of course, that the wrapper thus laid upon the table G will project on either side and at t-he ends of the table, for, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 8 and 9, the rectilinear dimensions of the object (print of butter) to be wrapped are considerably less than the size of the wrapper, in order that. the wrapper may be properly and completely folded about the article. As the table with the wrapper and print, o r other object thereon, descends into its well it will be obvious that the sides of the wrapper will wipe against the sides of the well and be folded up against the print or otherobject, and this will give the initial side fold. As the platform G with its side-wrapped article drops below the plane of thel hopper bed the top fold is made by means of folding slides 7.,', 7.1 (Figs. 4, 9, and 1l) which lie on either side of the well, the slide, 7: having a comparatively short nim-'ement so as to give the short t-urn-in to the top edge of the wrapper, said slide 7c being mounted in suitable Ways cn the machine frame and being operated by a depending lug le (See Fig. 2') 'which is engaged by a weighted dog 7c3 on the carrier frame Z213, this weighted dog 7c3 being nor-.

mally in position to engage the lug 7a2 and move the slide 7c forward a short distance until a trip 7c4 engages a toe 71:5, which thereupon trips the dog 7c3, disengages it from the lug 7a2, and permits the carrier b13 with its supported parts to move forward without carrying the slide 7c any farther. The slide 7c on the opposite side of thewell is given a comparatively long movement passing practically clear across the top of the object to be wrapped so as to lay the long flap of the wrapper over the top of the object, and this slide 7c receives its forward thrust or movement from a lever r6 ywhich engages a cross bar 7c7 on the slide (see Fig. 11), the lever 766 (see Fig. y6) being operated by means of a cam roll B engaging a cam groove 7c9 in the cam disk 7L, heretofore referredto, and best shown in Fig. 6 at the left-hand side, the slides 7c and 7c being timed so as to lay the wrapper across the top of the article and make the top folds when the platform G has dropped to the point where the slides may reciprocate above it and the print thereon. When the top folds have been laid as described, the article, with the wrapper laid about it, has been brought to the plane of the delivery chute L (see Figs. 2 and 3), and at this point the end folding operation is begun. This end folding-is accomplished by means of the folding plates 7010, shown in Figs. 4, 7 and 9, from which it will be seen Athat the said plates k1" are pivotally mounted at their lower ends to suitable lugs on the frame of the machine, the said folding plates k1 being connected by loose link connection 7c11 to the rising and falling yoke or cutterframe f, so that they are thrust forwardI and back as the cutter-frame rises and falls, the slots 7.112 at the outer ends of the links/r11 giving lost motion sufficient to insure a proper throw to'1the infolding plates 761, the said plates being preferably counterweighted by the weights 7613, as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 9, to insure their remaining in normal position during the further movements of the cutter frame. It will be seen that these plates 7u1" when thrown into folding posit ion will turn in the lower projecting side ofthe wrapper end, and in order-to give a corresponding tuck or fold to the upper side of the wrapper I provide the folding blades 7u shown in Figs. 4, 6, 7 and 9, these folding or tucking blades 7014 being formed, as best sho-wn in Fig. 6, from a single plate, with downturned ends, which is mounted in a cross head 7.215 mounted on traversing rods k1 which are slidingly mounted at their lower ends in slide bearings `and connected by a cross frame 7:11 (see Fig. 4) and link 7:18 with a lever 7:11 mounted on the shaft d10 and connectingby a cam roll, 762 with. a cam groovekA21 on. the cam di'sk 7c, as best shown in. Fig.. 6.. These blades 7014 it is to be understood, Work. down just inside thel plates 701, which act a little in advance, to complete the end tuck at top and bottom of the article, the plates 751 being outturned at their upper ends to permitthe tucking blades 7614 to pass down between them and the package, and4 insure the tuck. The package is now ready for the final fold of the wrapper, and t-his is accompished by means of an ejecting plunger L which tra-verses the delivery chute L and is clearly shown in Figs.. 2 and 4;, this plunger being mounted on the carrier frame 613, and having at its forward end on either side the folding blades L2, which embrace the package on the platform- G, fold over the side flaps at each end and on one side ofthe package, and thrust the package forward into the delivery chute L, which is of such dimensions as that when the object is forced forward the sides of the chute L. will fold over the last side fold of the package. The side-folding plunger L.

and its carrier frame 7f3 are reciprocated' through the medium of a link L3 and a rocking lever L4 mounted on the shaft ZT which receives its movements from the lever L5 pivoted at LG to the machine frame and provided with a cam roll Ll engaging a cam groove L8, in the cam disk 7) hereto-fore referred. to (see ig'. This completes the wrapping operation, and the package, inclosed within the wrapper as described, passes from the feed chute L as the packages are fed along, to a receivingtable M which will now be described.

Print delivering mec7iam'sm.-The said table M is divided. by aslot m as shown in Figs. l, 4 and 15 in which travels a. slide m", connected, as shown in Fig. l2, to a rocking lever m2 having a. slot m3 in which a crank pin m4 plays, said crank. pin receiving` motion from the shaft m5so that, as the shaft revolves, the lever m2, which is pivoted. to the frame of the machine at me, will swing backward and forward, reciprocating the slide m, supported as shown in the detail view Fig. 16, in a track m7 carried by suitable standards m8.. At its rear end, see Fig, 12, the slide m carries a push board-m9 which sweeps the top of the table M and carries the packages which have been ejected from the chute L. onto a platform m10 from which they may be removed by the attendant, the machine being designed to handle any desired number of'packages at a time, this being dependent, of course, on the length of the receiving table M and pushboard m9. This delivery mechanism just described is operated as heretofore stated, from the shaft. m5, the said shaft m5 being continuously driven through the worm and gear connection A3 shown in Fig. 6,l in which y the worm. is drivenfrom: the main shaft A connected with the motor. The shaft m5 (Fig, 13) has one .member of a clutch m12 pinned to it and rotating continuouslyy pivoted to a lixedv part of the machine frame and normally thrown out of engagement with its complementary part by a spring m14. The other end of the lever m13 is engaged. by a ull rod. m15 connected: to the lower end o a lever m1 pivoted at m17 to suitable hangers on the machine frame, the upper end of this lever carrying an end board m18, which, as shown in Figs.. l,4 12 and 13, is in. the line of movement of the packages as they come from the chute L. The result of this construction is that when the packages accumulate lon the table M until the end package strikes the board m18, the board is pushed away, the lever m16 is rocked, and,l through the push rod m15 and level' m1, the splined member of the clutch m5 is thrown into engagement, andthe slide m and push board m9 are moved to deliver the packages in numbers from the table M, as heretofore described..

In order to positively lock the clutch mlz'in engagement after it is initially startedlby the packages acting against the end. board' m18,

vI provide the thrust-rod m15 with a notch.

m1 which is engagedby the tail of a weighted. lever m20 as the thrust rod moves, said; weighted lever holding the parts in. position. with the clutch in engagement,` against the opening stress of the spring m14 until the lever m2 .after having carried the push board. mf across the table makes its return throw, whereupon it strikes an. adjustable stop m21 on. a thrust rod m44 connected. at its other endf to the lever m20, the said thrust rod m22 having. a pin and slot connection m23 at its other end. with the standard. ofthe machine frame. Willen the lever m2 swings back and strikes this thrust rod m4", the rod will be moved longitudinally and throw the end of the lever m20 out of the notch m1, whereupon the spring m14 will disengage the clutch m12 and the delivery slide or push board mi will. then lie in its normal position until its movement is again. initiated by the accumulating packages striking the end board m18.

In the wrapping of' some commodities, it is very desirable to preserve the moist condition of the product, and this is especially true of butter, the juices of which are apt to be absorbed by the wrappers, so that the outer surface of the butter becomes dried out, and since these absorbed juices afterward evaporate as the wrappers dry out, the prints frequently fall' below weight.. In order to guard against this diiliculty- I propose to. meisten the wrappers after the prints have been wrapped, so that the paper will have no tendency to absorb the juices of the butter` the. butter will continue in proper moist `condition for a considerable period, and there will be no loss of weight. I aecomplish thisI by providing a sprinkler which comprises a tube N (see Fig. 12) lying over the delivery chute L and beneath which the wrapped prints will pass as they are shoved forward to the delivery table. This sprinkler tube N is connected by a suitable valvcd connection n with the tank n containing water, and along its side and said tube N is provided with a series of perforations or drip openings a. through which the water from the tank and pipe N may drip upon the packages. The drip openings a. are placed along the side of the rtube instead of at the bottom, in order that the sprinkling may be uniform over the packages, for it is obvious that if the tube was perforated at its bottom, the water would spurt'from the openings nearest the tank, and but very little would flow from the openings at the end of the pipe N, so that the wrappers would not be uniformly moistened. Preferablythe drip openings n3 are at the horizontal center of the tube, although they might be above or below that center, flowing into the pipe N and rising therein until it reaches the `level of the perforations, which level will remain substantially constant and may be regulated by the valve n, and then there will be a uniform flow from all of the perforations in the pipe. i

It has been heretofore stated thatthe controlling and operating cams best shown in Fig. G, which are fixed to the main drive shaft B, are so timed with relation to each other as that each of the mechanisms starting with the slab advancing plunger will operate in proper sequence, and this, of course. gives 'a machine which is entirely automatic in its action from the time the slab is placed in the hoppenB' until the group of prints are pushed from the delivery table to the receiving platform at the other end of the machine. This automatic operation of the machine, of course, does away with the necessity, of attendants, except some one to supply the slab to the hopper and remove lhe wrapped prints from the receiving platerm.

In order that the machine may be entirely automatic, and that upon failure of the slab it will be stopped until the slab advancing plunger is retracted, and a new slab provided, I have furnished it with a sto motion device which, as best shown in Figs. 1, 2,. 6, 10 and 17, comprises a stop lever O plvotally mounted on the worm and clutch ox A2 and connected at its upper end with a tilting lever o carried by a suitable bracket o conveniently mounted on the slab table B2 and provided with a handle 02 by which it may be convemently manipulated. The said tilting lever 0 has a tripping projection 05 which lies in the path of'an operating arin 04 carried by the stem 7) of the slab advanclng plunger. The relation' of the operating arm o4 and the tripping projection' 03 1s such that the lever 0 will be operated when the plunger b has completed its tratl forward inthe ,hopper I3 and the butter slab has been sev ered into prints. The lever o2 will then be thrown, rocking the stop lever O on its pivo-t, K

and the said stop lever, as shown in Figs. 6

and 17, is connected by a suitable fork with a splined clutch member 05 on the power shaft A', which splmed clutch member 05 takes into a fixed clutch member 08 secured to or formed as a part of the worm A3 heretofore referred to, and from which motion is communicated to the drive shafts of the machine. From this it will be seen that immediately the supply for the machineis exhaustedv the stop mechanism will be operated and the machine brought to a state of rest, but that as soon as the slab advancing plungerl) is returned to its initial position for the insertion of a new slab, the stop lever t) will fall to its proper position and the clutch members 05 and oG rengage, and the machine will start upon starting of the motor.

I have, of course, shown a particular embodiment of my invention, and that the best now known to me, but as machines involving the same principles of invention may be constructed by the adopt-ion of mechanical equivalents of those expediente utilized by me, I do not confine myself to the particular mechanical devices herein disclosed for carrying out my invention.

l. In a. machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the ma-v terial, printing means automatically operated by the material as it advances, means for normally holding said printing means out of the path of the material, and means for positioning said printing means in the path of the material at pre-determined times.

Q. In a machine of the class described and `in combination; means for feeding Ithe material, normally inactive printing means adapted to be actuated by the material as itadvances, and means for moving said printing means into the path of the material' at pre-determined times. p i

'3. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the material, a reciprocating printing device normally inactive and adapted to be actuated by the material as it advances, means for moving said printing device into the path of the material at pre-determined times whereby said device is rocked bythe material as it advances, and means for releasing said printing device from said material whereby said printing device is adapted to lll tion.

4. In a machine of the class described and in'con'ibination; -means for feeding the material, rocking printing means actuated by the material as it advances, means for positioning said printing means in the path of the material, and means for returning sald printing means to its normal positlon after a printing operation.

5. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means forfeedi-ng the material, rocking printing means normally out of the path of the material, means for dropping said printing means into the'path of l the material at predetermined-intervals, and

means for returnng the rocking printer to its normal position after it has printed the material.

6. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the -material, a rocking printing block having a curved impression 'face normally out of the path of movement of the material, means for droppin said printing block into contact with t e materiali and removing it therefrom, and means for rocking the printing block to its initial position after it has impressed the material.

7. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the material, a rocking and bodily movable printing block normally out of the path of movement of the material, means for moving said printing block toward and away from thematerial at regular intervals, and meansl for returning said printing block to its initial angular position after it has impressed the material.

8. In a machine ofthe class ldescribed and in combination; means for feeding the material, a rocking and bodily lmovable printing block, means for normally holding said printing block in a predetermined angular position, and means for moving said printing block bodily toward and from the path of movement of the material'.

9. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the material, a gravity-controlled rocking printing block normally held in a predetermined angular position, and means for moving said printing block bodily toward and from the path of movement of the material.

10. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the material, an angularly-movable weighted printing block normally held in a predetermined angular position, and means for moving said printing block toward and from the path `of movement of the inaterial, whereby after an impression the said printing block is returned to its initial angular position.`

' 11. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the material, a semi-cylindrical rocking printing block weighted at one side to maintain v'it in an initial angularposition, and means for moving said printing block bodily to- .Ward and from the path of movement of the material, whereby said block will be automatically returned to its initial angular position after making an impression.

12. In a machine of the class described and in combination; means for feeding the material, .means for printing a predetermined portion of said material, means for severing such printed portion, and a rising and falling receiving-table for said printed and separated portion.

13. In a machine of the class described and in combination; a receiving hopper, an advancing plungerin said hopper, means for imparting a step-by-step movement to said plunger, and a stop motion device operable when said plunger reaches its limit of movement.. f l

.14. In \a machine of the class described and in combination; a receiving hopper, an advancing plunger in said hopper, mfeans for giving a step-by-step movement-to said plunger, a trip lever in the path of said nof its forward movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD F. STEWART.

l/Vitnesses:

IVILLIAM A. PRATT, KATHERINE C. GLANVILLE. 

